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It’s halfway through Week 2 and Mo’s are blooming around the world. To help keep them sharp and trim, here’s some advice about a long gone shaving technique…

Wet shave

Before wet shaving it is vital that you need to prep your face with warm water to open up your pores to stop the hairs from pulling. The preferred method is to apply a hot, wet towel to the bottom half of your face but if you’re stuck for time (or a towel!) then just splash some warm water on your cheeks and chops. Now, it’s time for foam or shaving cream. Massage your selected medium in a thin, even layer over then entire shaving area to help the razor glide smoothly and prevent cuts or burns. We recommend trying to limit the number of shaving strokes to one or two as this will stop the skin from irritating. You can always go over any missed spots later.

Straight razor

Most men use a disposable or a ‘safety’ razor and there’s no shame in that. But we feel it necessary to address the straight razor for anyone brave enough to give it a bash. It’s the classic shaving tool, the macdaddy razor from the good ol’ days, and, of course, it commands respect. For a modern example of the straight razor in action, go see Skyfall (great flick, btw!).

The conception of the first ‘proper’ straight razor dates all the way back to 1740 when an English inventor named Benjamin Huntsman devised a blade that could be folded into its own handle and was shaped to fit the contours of the face. This style of shaver was all the craze until the beginning of the 20th century, when King Camp Gillette designed a safer, disposable razor that would eventually go with troops deployed to fight in the first World War (3.5 million razors and 32 million blades in total!). As Gillette gradually developed their designs, first with a twin blade and then coupling three blades together for a ‘smoother’ shave, sales of the straight razor declined drastically before the advent of the electric razor all but killed it off. As these disposable razors became safer for men to use in the comfort of their home, barbershops began to foreclose and quickly became a thing of the past. Sad, we think you’ll agree.